System and method for ring frame cleaning and inspection

ABSTRACT

A system and method for cleaning and inspecting ring frames is disclosed here. In one embodiment, a ring frame processing system includes: a cleaning station configured to remove a first tape on a first surface of a ring frame using a first blade, clean first adhesive residues from the first tape on the first surface of the ring frame using a first wheel brush, and remove second adhesive residues from a second tape on a second surface of the ring frame using a second blade; and an inspection station, wherein the inspection station comprises an automated optical inspection system configured to determine the cleanness of the first and second surfaces of the ring frame after cleaning.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/987,581, filed May 23, 2018, which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

A wafer dicing process is typically conducted to separate dies from asemiconductor wafer following various manufacturing processes. Duringdicing, semiconductor wafers are first mounted, with their active sidesup, onto a dicing tape cut to size and fixed to a ring frame. The ringframe and the dicing tape secure the wafer during the dicing process andkeep the dies aligned before they are extracted by die-handlingequipment for the next manufacturing step, e.g., packaging. Furthermore,semiconductor wafers fixed on ring frames are labeled using barcodetapes on ring frames. Therefore, tapes and tape residues from dicingtapes and barcode tapes need to be removed from ring frames before theycan be used again for a next batch of wafer dicing.

Traditionally, tapes and tape residues are removed based on a chemicalmethod using acid and alcohol. This technique is notenvironmental-friendly (e.g., generating large amount of acid waste) andnot techno-economically feasible (e.g., large amounts of chemicals areneeded). After cleaning, ring frames are inspected manually by a humanusing an optical instrument to determine the presence of residues in theform of particles. When tape residues are detected as a result of such“manual” inspection, the ring frame is generally removed for re-cleaningbefore it can be re-used. Such a manual inspection disadvantageouslycauses various issues. For example, a time-resource trade-off leads to atrade-off between an inspection resolution and a sampling rate, e.g., ahigh sampling rate (i.e., a high throughput of the inspection) istypically subjected to a low inspection resolution, and vice versa.

Therefore, a method and system that can effectively clean ring framesand can automatically determine the cleanness of the ring frames at highresolution is needed. Despite this long felt need, no suitable systemsmeeting these requirements are available.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It isnoted that various features are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact,the dimensions and geometries of the various features may be arbitrarilyincreased or reduced for clarity of illustration.

FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate a system for cleaning and inspecting ring frames,in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional overview of a plurality of cleaningelements in a ring frame cleaning station, in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a ring frame inspection station, in accordance withsome embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of a method of cleaning and inspectingring frames, in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The following disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments forimplementing different features of the subject matter. Specific examplesof components and arrangements are described below to simplify thepresent disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are notintended to be limiting. For example, it will be understood that when anelement is referred to as being “connected to” or “coupled to” anotherelement, it may be directly connected to or coupled to the otherelement, or one or more intervening elements may be present.

The presented disclosure provides various embodiments of a method andsystem for cleaning and inspecting ring frames. Ring frames widely usedin wafer dicing processes need to be cleaned to remove adhesive residuesfrom tapes, for example barcode tapes and dicing tapes, before they canbe re-used. In contrast to the traditional chemical cleaning methods, asdescribed above, a system and method to effectively remove adhesiveresidues based on a mechanical method using blades and wheel brushes ispresented. Furthermore, a high-throughput and automated opticalinspection system is used to replace manual inspection and toautomatically detect the cleanness of the ring frames after cleaning.Accordingly, the above-mentioned issues may be advantageously avoided.

The description of the exemplary embodiments herein is to be understoodin connection with the figures of the accompanying drawings, which areto be considered part of the entire written description. In thedescription, relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,”“vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as wellas derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,”etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then describedor as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms arefor convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus beconstructed or operated in a particular orientation.

FIG. 1A illustrates a system 100 for cleaning and inspecting ringframes, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.It is noted that the system 100 is merely an example, and is notintended to limit the present disclosure. Accordingly, it is understoodthat additional operations may be provided before, during, and after thesystem 100 of FIG. 1 , and that some other operations may only bebriefly described herein.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the system 100 comprises a plurality of processingstations 102, 104, a ring frame cleaning station 106, a ring frameinspection station 108, and a ring frame storage station 110. In someembodiments, the processing station 102 is a wafer dicing station andthe processing station 104 is a ring frame removal station. At least onedie from a semiconductor wafer can be created in the processing station102.

The wafer dicing process conducted in the processing station 102 is aprocess by which dies are separated from a semiconductor wafer followingIC manufacturing processes including cleaning, photolithography, wetetching, dry etching, dielectric deposition, metal deposition, and anysemiconductor processes known in the art. In some embodiments, thedicing process can involve scribing and breaking, mechanical sawing orlaser cutting. In some embodiments, the wafer dicing process is atape-based process. During a tape-based process, before dicing, a waferis first mounted with active side up onto a dicing tape cut to size andfixed to a ring frame. In some embodiments, the wafer can be applied tothe dicing tape with controlled temperature and pressure. In someembodiments, the ring frame comprises stainless steel. Thisconfiguration secures the wafer during the dicing process and keeps diesaligned for easy transport to the next step in the process, e.g.,packaging. After dicing, the dies stay on the dicing tape until they areextracted by automated die-handling equipment.

Various dicing tapes with different properties can be used depending onthe dicing application. UV curable tapes are used for smaller die sizesand non-UV dicing tape for large die sizes according to someembodiments. In some embodiments, the dicing tapes can be made ofpolyolefin, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) backing material withadhesives in order to hold the dies in place. In some embodiments, thedicing tapes can have a thickness from 75 micrometers to 150micrometers, with a variety of adhesive strengths, designed for variouschip sizes and materials.

In some embodiments, the processing station 102 also comprises a UVcuring station when UV tapes are used as dicing tapes. UV tapes haveadhesive bond that can be broken by exposure to UV light, allowing theadhesive to be stronger during cutting while allowing clean and easyremoval. In some embodiments, the UV curing station has adjustable UVirradiation power levels for different UV tapes with different adhesivestrength. In some embodiments, the UV power level is high to completecure the adhesive and to completely remove adhesive residues. In someembodiments, the processing station 102 further comprises a heatingstation when thermal-release tapes are used as dicing tapes.Thermal-release tapes have adhesive bonds that can be broken by heatirradiation. When heat is applied, the tape releases its adhesion on thedies. In some embodiments, the dicing tape can be an electrostaticdischarge tape to reduce contamination for highly sensitiveapplications.

In some embodiments, the processing station 102 can further comprise anautomated die picking machine to remove dies after dicing from the cureddicing tape for storage or bonding into a package. In some embodiments,the automated die picking machine can use poker pin to push dies forremoval. In some embodiments, the automated die picking machine can alsouse vacuum to draw away dies from the dicing tape. In some otherembodiments, the automated die picking machine can use a mechanicaltweezer or gripper to remove dies from the dicing tape. In someembodiments, the automated die picking machine can use a combination ofdifferent techniques to separate dies from the dicing tape. In someembodiments, the processing station 102 further comprises a die matrixexpander, which applies forces on the dicing tape to expend the spacebetween dies allowing an insertion of mechanical tweezers or grippers toremove dies from the dicing tape.

Ring frame removal process conducted in the processing station 104 is aprocess after wafer dicing and removing dies from the dicing tape toprepare ring frames for a next batch of wafer dicing. In someembodiments, the processing station 104 comprises an automated UV taperemoval system, in which a UV light is used on the backside of the ringframe to cure the adhesive of the dicing tape on the ring frame allowingan easy removal of dicing tape from the ring frame. The dicing tape canthen be peeled off from the ring frame using a peeling tape or a blade,according to certain embodiments. In some embodiments, the automated UVcuring process and dicing tape removal process performed in the ringframe removal processing station are performed separately in separatedprocessing stations, including a UV curing station 104 a and a dicingtape removal station 104 b (as shown in FIG. 1B).

Ring frame cleaning station (hereinafter “cleaning station”) 106 is usedto clean ring frames used to support wafers during the dicing processand can be configured based on a contact cleaning method. Adhesiveresidues from the dicing tape on the back surface of the ring frame aswell as a barcode tape on the front surface of the ring frame have to becleaned before the ring frame can be used again. Typically, achemical-based cleaning method is generally used, during which a lot ofacidic chemicals and alcohol can be consumed and wasted. Therefore, thistraditional method is not environmental-friendly and techno-economicallyfeasible. As discussed in further detail below, in some embodiments, abarcode tape on the opposite surface of the dicing tape as a waferidentification can be first removed mechanically using a blade. In someembodiment, the ring frame cleaning station 106 comprises a mechanicalcopper wire wheel brush to remove the barcode tape residues. In someembodiments, the cleaning station 106 comprises a substantially verticalrotary mechanism. The cleaning elements and processes performed in thering frame cleaning station 106 is further discussed in detail in FIG. 2.

Ring frame inspection station (hereinafter “inspection station”) 108comprises an automated optical inspection system, in accordance withsome embodiments. As discussed in further detail below, in someembodiments, the inspection station 108 includes a ring frame transportsystem (e.g., a conveyor) that transfers a ring frame through theinspection station, a line scan camera, a controller, and a localcomputer with a storage unit and a display unit. For example, thecleaned ring frame can be transferred on a conveyor in the inspectionsystem 108 from a ring frame cleaning station 106 to a ring framestorage station 110 a, or if an unsatisfied cleanness is detected (e.g.,tape residues) on the ring frame, to respective storage station 110 b,which are collectively referred to storage station 110. While beingtransferred in the inspection system 108, both surfaces of the ringframe is imaged by at least one line scan camera. Data collected by theline scan camera can be stored in a storage unit of a local computer 114d followed by a preprocessing step. Examples of preprocessing caninclude reconstruction of the line images into a two-dimensional imageof the ring frame surface and various distortion corrections, asdescribed in further detail below.

Each process station 102, 104, 106, and 108 is coupled to a localcomputer 114 a, 114 b, 114 c, and 114 d through controllers 112 a, 112b, 112 c, and 112 d, respectively, in accordance with some embodiments.The controllers are generally or collectively referred to controllers112 a-d herein. The local computers are generally or collectivelyreferred to local computer(s) 114 herein. The local computers 114 a-dare each coupled to a remote computer resource 116 through a connection118. In some embodiments, the connection 118 may include a Ethernetcable, an optical fiber, a wireless communication media, and/or othernetworks known in the art. It should be understood that otherconnections and intermediate circuits can be deployed between the localcomputers 114 and the remote computer resource 116 to facilitateinterconnection.

In some embodiments, an image processing operation can be performed bythe remote computer resource 116 to automatically detect the cleannessof the ring frame in accordance with predetermined algorithms or rulesconcerning, e.g., irregular shapes, and the like. In some embodiments,the remote computer resource 116 includes a computer network, servers,applications, and/or data centers, generally known as the “cloud” orcloud computing. Results and decisions from the remote computer resource116 about whether the wafer contains defects are processed andtransmitted back to the local computer 114 d associated with theinspection system 108 through the connection 118. In some embodiments,the remote computer resource 116 may be unnecessary if the localcomputer 114 d can perform the image processing and analysis locally. Insome embodiments, various inspection results (e.g., size, density anddistribution of particles and mapping of residues) are displayed on alocal display unit and a control signal is sent to the conveyor totransfer the ring frame to a respective storage station 110 a. In someembodiments, a ring frame that fails to meet a pre-defined threshold orcriterion, and thus determined to be unclean, is transferred by theconveyor in the inspection system 108 to a cassette in the storagestation 110 b for re-cleaning. On the other hand, if the ring frame isdetermined to be clean meeting the pre-defined threshold or criterion,then it is transferred by the conveyor to the ring frame storage station110 a, which are used in a next wafer dicing process (e.g., dicing tapeattachment, wafer alignment and mounting, wafer scanning and dicing,etc.). In some embodiments, the threshold may vary depending on theapplication (e.g., type of tapes used and conditions used for removingthem) and can be set by manufacturers.

In some embodiments, a separate transfer chamber can be coupled to thecleaning station 106. In some embodiments, the inspection station 108may be configured inside the cleaning station 106, if the process doesnot interfere with the inspection. Such an integration of the inspectionstation to the cleaning station provides an automated inspection thatcan efficiently detect the cleanness of the ring frames after cleaning,without relying on manual inspection or statistical sampling of the ringframe surfaces. By mapping the particles/residues on the surfaces of thering frame after cleaning, as part of the inspection process, criticalinsights into process characteristics (e.g., cleaning tools andconditions) at each cleaning stage can be obtained while minimizingadverse effects on throughput.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional overview of a plurality of cleaningelements in a ring frame cleaning station 200, in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure. The ring frame cleaning station(hereinafter “cleaning station”) 200 comprises a front surface cleaningstage 202, a back surface cleaning stage 204, and a final cleaning stage206. In some embodiments, the ring frame 208, during cleaning, securedby a suitable ring frame holder (not shown) coupled to a conveyor, e.g.,a motorized robotic transfer arm (not shown). The robotic transfer armis translatable in both the X, Y, and Z directions to move betweencleaning elements (blade 212, wire wheel brush 216, non-woven wheelbrush 218, and dust-free cloth 220). In some embodiments, the robotictransfer arm is also rotatable about a certain center in the X-Y planealong the Z axis. In illustrated embodiment, the ring frame 208 rotatesalong the Z axis at a constant speed during cleaning.

In some embodiments, the front surface cleaning stage 202 comprisesremoving a barcode tape 210 on a ring frame 208 using a blade 212. Inthe illustrated embodiment, this removing process leaves adhesiveresidues 214 on the front surface of the ring frame 208. In someembodiments, the ring frame 208 comprises stainless steel and the blade212 comprises materials that have a mechanical hardness that is smallerthan that of the ring frame 208. In some embodiments, the blade 212comprises aluminum. A relative movement between the blade 212 and thefront surface of the ring frame 208 and a contact force are configuredand feed-back controlled by the control circuit 112 c (FIG. 1 ) allowinga mechanical removal of the barcode tape 210 without using chemicals andmeanwhile without causing mechanical damage to the front surface of thering frame.

After the removal of barcode tape 210, the ring frame 208 is furthercleaned using at least one wire wheel brush 216 to remove the taperesidue 214. In some embodiments, the wire wheel brush 216 comprises acircular abrasive brush. In some embodiments, the wires can comprisemetal wires with small diameters for fine removal of tape residues 214.In some embodiments, the wires can be made of copper, copper alloys,e.g., bronze, brass, etc, and a combination thereof. In someembodiments, the tape residue 214 can be cleaned by a plurality of wirewheel brushes 216 with different diameters for coarse and fine removalof tape residues 214. In certain embodiments, the wires in the wirewheel brushes 216 comprise materials that have a hardness that are lessthan the hardness of the material of the ring frame 208. For example,copper wires have a hardness of 75-120 Vickers Pyramid Number (HV) andstainless steel ring frame has a hardness of 250-310 HV.

After brush cleaning using at least one wire wheel brush 216, the frontsurface of the ring frame 208 is further conditioned using a non-wovenwheel brush 218, in accordance with some embodiments. In someembodiments, the non-woven wheel brush 218 for surface conditioningcomprises materials such as, for example aluminum oxide, siliconcarbide, and ceramic, as the abrasive materials. In some embodiments,the non-woven wheel brush 218 can comprise a sanding pad or disc. Insome embodiments, the non-woven wheel brush 218 comprises non-wovenfabrics, including synthetic materials, natural materials orcombinations thereof. In some embodiments, the conditioning using thenon-woven wheel brush 218 can be performed under a wet condition, e.g.,water. The front surface cleaning of the ring frame 208 is then finishedby wiping the front surface with a dust-free cloth 220, such as underwet conditions, according to some embodiments.

The back surface cleaning of the ring frame 208 is then performed. Thering frame 208 is first flipped by a robotic arm during the transfer ofthe ring frame 208 between the front surface cleaning stage 202 and theback surface cleaning stage 204, in accordance with some embodiments. Toremove the dicing tape residue 222 from a previous dicing tape removalprocess in the ring frame removal station 104, a blade 224 can be usedto gently slide along the back surface of the ring frame 208, accordingto some embodiments. In some embodiments, the blade 224 comprises athermoplastic polymer. In some embodiments, the blade 224 comprises amaterial that has a smaller hardness than that of the ring frame 208. Insome embodiments, the blade 224 is made of polyaryletherketone (PAEK),such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK). PEEK offers high strength andexcellent resistance to high temperatures allowing an application ofheating during the removal of tape residues 222, in some embodiments.Furthermore, PEEK offers high abrasive wear resistance. The blade 224made of PEEK can be manufactured using an injection molding or amachining process due to the great processability of the PEEK material.In some embodiments, the PEEK blade 224 can further comprise carbonfiber, glass fiber, PTFE (polytetrfaluoroethylene) or PEK (polyetherketone) for improved mechanical or thermal properties. The back surfacecleaning stage 204 is then accomplished by wiping the back surface witha dust-free cloth 220 under wet conditions.

A final cleaning stage 206 is then gently applied on both front and backsurfaces of the ring frame 208 by wiping again with a dust-free cloth220 and drying both surfaces with a clean dry air 226. In someembodiments, the ring frame 208 is rotated while being dried with cleanair.

As discussed separately in detail below, in some embodiments, a controlcircuit 112 is used to control the transfer arm, position and movementof various cleaning elements and the ring frame holder (e.g., blade 212,wire wheel 216, non-woven wheel 218, PEEK blade 224 and dust-free cloth220). In some embodiments, the movement of the various cleaning elementsincludes engagement of the cleaning elements to the surface of the ringframe, direction and speed of the cleaning elements, etc.

FIG. 3 illustrates a ring frame inspection station 300, in accordancewith some embodiments of the present disclosure. These are, of course,merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In one embodiment,a ring frame 208 is secured by a suitable holder 312 coupled to aconveyor, e.g., a motorized robotic transfer arm 310. The robotictransfer arm 310 is translatable in both the X and Y directions. In someembodiments, the robotic transfer arm 310 is also rotatable about acertain center in the X-Y plane. In the illustrated embodiment, theholder 312 coupled to the robotic transfer arm 310 transfers the ringframe 208 along the X axis at a constant speed during inspection.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , a line scan camera 302 with animaging lens 303 is mounted on a frame 304 located at a certain workingdistance 309 from the surface of the ring frame 208 in the vertical (Z)direction. In some embodiments, these three parts, i.e., 302, 303 and304, are stationary. In some embodiments, a diffused illumination from aremotely located light source (not shown) can be used, which can providesufficient light for the line scan camera 302 to capture high-resolutionimages of the ring frame 208. In some embodiments, the position of thering frame 208 and the line scan camera 302 relative to the ring frame208 can be adjusted for alignment purpose. In some embodiments, two linescan cameras 302 can be configured to simultaneously scan the front andback surfaces of the ring frame 208. In some embodiments, the front andback surfaces of the ring frame 208 can be imaged separately by one linescan camera 302.

In some embodiments, instead of capturing an image of the entire ringframe 208 as a whole, the line scan camera 302 collects image data onescan line at a time. An image line 316, indicated by a short dashed linein FIG. 3 , is a line region where the reflected or scattered light fromthe surface of the ring frame 208 under inspection is collected by alight sensor in the line scan camera 302 through the imaging lens 303.In some embodiments, the field of view 318 of the line scan camera 302in the Y direction, e.g., the maximum length of the image line 312, canbe adjusted by the width of the light sensor in the line scan camera302, the working distance 309, and the focal length of the lens 303. Insome embodiments, the image line 316 is the overlap portion of the fieldof view 318 in Y direction and the surface of the ring frame 208. Forexample, the width of imaging lens can be 25 millimeters (mm), which canprovide a field of view 318 with a width of up to 215 mm in the Ydirection and a sensor width of 14 mm. Therefore, the resolution in theY direction, which has a unit in mm per pixel for a light sensor widthof 1024 pixels per line, can be controlled by the working distance 309taking into account the diameter of the ring frame 208.

In some embodiments, the line scan camera 302 includes a light sensorthat can be based on a variety of technologies such as, for example, acharge-coupled detector (CCD), a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor(CMOS), or a hybrid CCD/CMOS architecture. In some embodiments, thelight sensor can be a mono or color sensor. In some embodiments, suchlight sensor can be configured to either work in a broad range ofwavelengths or a narrow range of wavelengths. In some other embodiments,such light sensor can be configured to receive either reflected and/orscattered non-fluorescence light from a light source or a fluorescencelight emitted by the defects or features due to an excitation by thelight source.

Because of the requirement for a wide field of view 318, when a largering frame 208 is inspected especially within a limited space, a uniformintensity from a flood light source illumination becomes difficult. Asmentioned above, since the image line 316 is the only portion of thering frame 208 that needs to be uniformly illuminated for collectingline-scan images by the line scan camera 302, the illumination to theimage line 316 can be from a line light source 330 having a narrow slitto direct a light beam. In some embodiments, the line light source 330can include an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) with a half barconverging line lens as an optical guide. Such a light source may beconfigured in the limited space while maintaining a uniform illuminationto the image line 316 on the ring frame 208. However, in accordance withvarious embodiments, various light sources suitable for variousapplications may be utilized. In another embodiment, an imaging lens 303with a larger diameter, a smaller focal length, and/or a largerefractive index can be used to provide a wide field of view 318 at asmall working distance 309. To obtain a comparable resolution (mm perpixel) to that on a smaller ring frame 208, a line scan camera with alarger sensor size may be used. In some embodiments, the optical pathwaycan be redirected by a reflective mirror or a plurality of reflectivemirrors e.g., an array of reflective mirrors (not shown) to accommodatethe inspection system in certain applications.

In some embodiments, the relative position between the line scan camera302 and the light source 330 can affect the inspection criteria. Forexample, in case of using a linear light source 330 on a ring frame 208with a reflective surface, when the line scan camera 302 is off theangle of reflection, the reflective surface appears dark in the lightsensor while the features and/or defects can scatter light and appearbright in the image. For another example, when the line scan camera 302is within the angle of reflection of the incident light from the lightsource 330, the surface appears bright while the features and/or defectsmay appear darker or brighter depending on their reflectivity relativeto the rest of the surface.

In some embodiments, the conveyor can be a transfer robot which consistsof multiple joints, a single arm, and a stage. In some embodiments, thetransfer robot can provide high-speed and high-accuracy wafer handlingwithin a limited space. As discussed above, a surface inspection usingthe line scan camera 302 requires a linear motion of the ring frame 208in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the image line 316.

As the ring frame 208 enters the field of view 318 in Y direction, arecording cycle of a line scan image from the line scan camera 302 by alocal computer 114 d is initiated. In some embodiments, the recordingcan be also initiated by a position signal from an encoder that islocated on a motor of the robotic transfer arm 310. In some embodiments,image data as the scanning progresses is shown on a display monitorcoupled to the local computer 114 d.

In some embodiments, such recording process of one single line of pixelfrom the line scan camera 302 to the local computer 114 d is conductedin two steps, i.e., exposure and readout steps. In the first step, theline scan camera 302 collects a single line of pixels per exposure atone position which is initiated by the application of a trigger pulse tothe camera, as discussed above. The trigger pulse also ends the exposureperiod and starts the second step of transferring the sensor imageinformation to a readout register and finally out of the camera to thelocal computer, to complete the readout step. In some embodiments, thesensor image information is provided to the local computer 114 d oneline of pixels at a time.

In some embodiments, the exposure time of an individual line at theimage line 312 and the number of lines can be affected by the velocityof the ring frame 208 and resolution requirement along the X axis in thewafer plane. In some embodiment, the exposure time may also be affectedby illumination intensity, sensitivity of the light sensor, and residuesbeing detected. In parallel with the first readout period, the line scancamera 302 continues with the next exposure step in a next cycle, whilethe robotic transfer arm 310 moves the ring frame 208 to the nextposition.

In some embodiments, reconstruction of the image of the front and backsurfaces of the ring frame 208 under inspection is conducted based on aplurality of single line images through the local computer 114 d and thesurface images are then displayed on the display unit in real time.

Once the surfaces of the ring frame under inspection have beencompletely scanned, the local computer 114 d then proceeds toreconstruct and preprocess the complete two-dimensional surface image toprepare the image for cleanness detection. In some embodiments, suchpreprocessing of the surface image includes offset correction, gaincorrection, distortion correction, adjusting contrast, and the like. Inaccordance with some embodiments, the reconstructed image is displayedon the display unit of the local computer 114 d.

As discussed above in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the control circuit 112 is arepresentative device and may comprise a processor, a memory, aninput/output interface, a communications interface, and a system bus.The processor may comprise any processing circuitry operative to controlthe operations and performance of the control circuits 112 of the system100. In various aspects, the processor may be implemented as a generalpurpose processor, a chip multiprocessor (CMP), a dedicated processor,an embedded processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a networkprocessor, an input/output (I/O) processor, a media access control (MAC)processor, a radio baseband processor, a co-processor, a microprocessorsuch as a complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessor, areduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, and/or a verylong instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or other processing device.The processor also may be implemented by a controller, amicrocontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), afield programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD),and so forth.

In various aspects, the processor may be arranged to run an operatingsystem (OS) and various applications. Examples of an OS comprise, forexample, operating systems generally known under the trade name of AppleOS, Microsoft Windows OS, Android OS, and any other proprietary or opensource OS. Examples of applications comprise, for example, a telephoneapplication, a camera (e.g., digital camera, video camera) application,a browser application, a multimedia player application, a gamingapplication, a messaging application (e.g., email, short message,multimedia), a viewer application, and so forth.

In some embodiments, at least one non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium is provided having computer-executable instructionsembodied thereon, wherein, when executed by at least one processor, thecomputer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor toperform embodiments of the methods described herein. Thiscomputer-readable storage medium can be embodied in the memory.

In some embodiments, the memory may comprise any machine-readable orcomputer-readable media capable of storing data, including bothvolatile/non-volatile memory and removable/non-removable memory. Thememory may comprise at least one non-volatile memory unit. Thenon-volatile memory unit is capable of storing one or more softwareprograms. The software programs may contain, for example, applications,user data, device data, and/or configuration data, or combinationstherefore, to name only a few. The software programs may containinstructions executable by the various components of the controlcircuits 112 of the system 100.

For example, memory may comprise read-only memory (ROM), random-accessmemory (RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), Double-Data-Rate DRAM (DDR-RAM),synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), programmable ROM (PROM),erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmableROM (EEPROM), flash memory (e.g., NOR or NAND flash memory), contentaddressable memory (CAM), polymer memory (e.g., ferroelectric polymermemory), phase-change memory (e.g., ovonic memory), ferroelectricmemory, silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory, disk memory(e.g., floppy disk, hard drive, optical disk, magnetic disk), or card(e.g., magnetic card, optical card), or any other type of media suitablefor storing information.

In one embodiment, the memory may contain an instruction set, in theform of a file for executing a method of generating one or more timinglibraries as described herein. The instruction set may be stored in anyacceptable form of machine-readable instructions, including source codeor various appropriate programming languages. Some examples ofprogramming languages that may be used to store the instruction setcomprise, but are not limited to: Java, C, C++, C#, Python, Objective-C,Visual Basic, or .NET programming. In some embodiments a compiler orinterpreter is comprised to convert the instruction set into machineexecutable code for execution by the processor.

In some embodiments, the I/O interface may comprise any suitablemechanism or component to at least enable a user to provide input to thecontrol circuits 112 of the system 100 and the control circuits 112 toprovide output to the user. For example, the I/O interface may compriseany suitable input mechanism, including but not limited to, a button,keypad, keyboard, click wheel, touch screen, or motion sensor. In someembodiments, the I/O interface may comprise a capacitive sensingmechanism, or a multi-touch capacitive sensing mechanism (e.g., atouchscreen).

In some embodiments, the I/O interface may comprise a visual peripheraloutput device for providing a display visible to the user. For example,the visual peripheral output device may comprise a screen such as, forexample, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen, incorporated into thecontrol circuits 112 of the system 100. As another example, the visualperipheral output device may comprise a movable display or projectingsystem for providing a display of content on a surface remote from thecontrol circuits 112 of the system 100. In some embodiments, the visualperipheral output device can comprise a coder/decoder, also known as aCodec, to convert digital media data into analog signals. For example,the visual peripheral output device may comprise video Codecs, audioCodecs, or any other suitable type of Codec.

The visual peripheral output device also may comprise display drivers,circuitry for driving display drivers, or both. The visual peripheraloutput device may be operative to display content under the direction ofthe processor. For example, the visual peripheral output device may beable to play media playback information, application screens forapplications implemented on the control circuits 112 of the system 100,information regarding ongoing communications operations, informationregarding incoming communications requests, or device operation screens,to name only a few.

In some embodiments, the communications interface may comprise anysuitable hardware, software, or combination of hardware and softwarethat is capable of coupling the control circuits 112 of the system 100to one or more networks and/or additional devices. The communicationsinterface may be arranged to operate with any suitable technique forcontrolling information signals using a desired set of communicationsprotocols, services or operating procedures. The communicationsinterface may comprise the appropriate physical connectors to connectwith a corresponding communications medium, whether wired or wireless.

Systems and methods of communication comprise a network, in accordancewith some embodiments. In various aspects, the network may compriselocal area networks (LAN) as well as wide area networks (WAN) includingwithout limitation Internet, wired channels, wireless channels,communication devices including telephones, computers, wire, radio,optical or other electromagnetic channels, and combinations thereof,including other devices and/or components capable of/associated withcommunicating data. For example, the communication environments comprisein-body communications, various devices, and various modes ofcommunications such as wireless communications, wired communications,and combinations of the same.

Wireless communication modes comprise any mode of communication betweenpoints (e.g., nodes) that utilize, at least in part, wireless technologyincluding various protocols and combinations of protocols associatedwith wireless transmission, data, and devices. The points comprise, forexample, wireless devices such as wireless headsets, audio andmultimedia devices and equipment, such as audio players and multimediaplayers, telephones, including mobile telephones and cordlesstelephones, and computers and computer-related devices and components,such as printers, network-connected machinery, and/or any other suitabledevice or third-party device.

Wired communication modes comprise any mode of communication betweenpoints that utilize wired technology including various protocols andcombinations of protocols associated with wired transmission, data, anddevices. The points comprise, for example, devices such as audio andmultimedia devices and equipment, such as audio players and multimediaplayers, telephones, including mobile telephones and cordlesstelephones, and computers and computer-related devices and components,such as printers, network-connected machinery, and/or any other suitabledevice or third-party device. In various implementations, the wiredcommunication modules may communicate in accordance with a number ofwired protocols. Examples of wired protocols may comprise UniversalSerial Bus (USB) communication, RS-232, RS-422, RS-423, RS-485 serialprotocols, FireWire, Ethernet, Fiber Channel, MIDI, ATA, Serial ATA, PCIExpress, T-1 (and variants), Industry Standard Architecture (ISA)parallel communication, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)communication, or Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) communication,to name only a few examples.

Accordingly, in various aspects, the communications interface maycomprise one or more interfaces such as, for example, a wirelesscommunications interface, a wired communications interface, a networkinterface, a transmit interface, a receive interface, a media interface,a system interface, a component interface, a switching interface, a chipinterface, a controller, and so forth. When implemented by a wirelessdevice or within wireless system, for example, the communicationsinterface may comprise a wireless interface comprising one or moreantennas, transmitters, receivers, transceivers, amplifiers, filters,control logic, and so forth.

In various embodiments, the communications interface may provide voiceand/or data communications functionality in accordance a number ofwireless protocols. Examples of wireless protocols may comprise variouswireless local area network (WLAN) protocols, including the Institute ofElectrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.xx series of protocols,such as IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, and so forth.Other examples of wireless protocols may comprise various wireless widearea network (WWAN) protocols, such as GSM cellular radiotelephonesystem protocols with GPRS, CDMA cellular radiotelephone communicationsystems with 1×RTT, EDGE systems, EV-DO systems, EV-DV systems, HSDPAsystems, and so forth. Further examples of wireless protocols maycomprise wireless personal area network (PAN) protocols, such as anInfrared protocol, a protocol from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group(SIG) series of protocols, including Bluetooth Specification versionsv1.0, v1.1, v1.2, v2.0, v2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate (EDR), as well asone or more Bluetooth Profiles, and so forth. Yet another example ofwireless protocols may comprise near-field communication techniques andprotocols, such as electromagnetic induction (EMI) techniques. Anexample of EMI techniques may comprise passive or active radio-frequencyidentification (RFID) protocols and devices. Other suitable protocolsmay comprise Ultra Wide Band (UWB), Digital Office (DO), Digital Home,Trusted Platform Module (TPM), ZigBee, and so forth.

In some embodiments, the control circuits 112 of the system 100 maycomprise a system bus that couples various system components includingthe processor, the memory, and the I/O interface. The system bus can beany of several types of bus structure(s) including a memory bus ormemory controller, a peripheral bus or external bus, and/or a local bususing any variety of available bus architectures including, but notlimited to, 9-bit bus, Industrial Standard Architecture (ISA),Micro-Channel Architecture (MCA), Extended ISA (EISA), Intelligent DriveElectronics (IDE), VESA Local Bus (VLB), Personal Computer Memory CardInternational Association (PCMCIA) Bus, Small Computer System Interface(SCSI) or other proprietary bus, or any custom bus suitable forcomputing device applications.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of a method 400 of cleaning andinspecting a ring frame 208, in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent disclosure. The method 400 comprises two major sub functionalblocks performed by a ring frame cleaning station 200 and a ring frameinspection station 300, respectively, as indicated by correspondingdashed lines in FIG. 4 . Each station is discussed above in detail inFIGS. 1-3 .

The method 400 starts with operation 402 in which an i-th ring frame 208from a first processing station is provided. In some embodiments, thefirst processing station comprises operations including waferdicing/grinding and ring frame removal. In some embodiments, the dicingtape on the bottom surface of the i-th ring frame 208 is further removedin the first processing station.

The method continues with operation 404 in which the i-th ring frame 208is transferred on a conveyor to a ring frame cleaning station 200. Insome embodiments, this conveyor can be a robotic transfer arm, a beltconveyor, and the like, which can provide motions such as, for examplehorizontal, vertical, linear, rotation, and a combination thereof. Insome embodiments, the conveyor can handle a variety of substrates suchas, for example, thin, large, or the like. In some embodiments, theconveyor may transfer ring frames between cassettes, stages and/orchambers.

The method continues with operation 406 in which a first tape on a frontsurface the i-th ring frame 208 is first removed by a first blade 212.In some embodiments, the first tape can be a barcode tape for waferidentification. In some embodiments, the first blade is made ofaluminum.

The method continues with operation 408 in which tape residues from thefirst tape on the front surface of the i-th ring frame 208 is thenremoved by a metal wire wheel brush 216. Referring to FIG. 2 , in someembodiments, the wire wheel brush 216 comprises a circular abrasivebrush. In some embodiments, the wires can comprise metal wires withsmall diameters for fine removal of tape residues 214. In someembodiments, the wires can be made of copper, copper alloys, e.g.,bronze, brass, etc, and a combination thereof. In some embodiments, thetape residue 214 can be cleaned by a plurality of wire wheel brushes 216with different diameters for coarse and fine removal of tape residues214.

The method 400 continues to operation 410 in which the front surface ofthe i-th ring frame 208 is further conditioned with a non-woven wheelbrush 218. Referring to FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, the non-wovenwheel brush 218 for surface conditioning comprises materials such as,for example aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and ceramic. In someembodiments, the non-woven wheel brush 218 can comprise a sanding pad ordisc. In some embodiments, the conditioning using a non-woven wheelbrush 218 can be performed in a wet condition e.g., water.

The method 400 continues to operation 412 in which the cleaning of thefront surface of the i-th ring frame 208 is finished by wiping the frontsurface with a dust-free cloth 220, such as under wet conditions,according to some embodiments.

The method 400 continues to operation 414 in which dicing tape residueson the back of the i-th ring frame 208 are removed using a second blade224. Referring to FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, the second blade 224comprises a thermoplastic polymer. In some embodiments, the second blade224 is made of polyaryletherketone (PAEK), such as polyether etherketone (PEEK). PEEK offers high strength and excellent resistance tohigh temperatures allowing an application of heating during the removalof tape residues 222 from the dicing tape. Furthermore, PEEK offers highabrasive wear resistance. The second blade 224 made of PEEK can be madefrom an injection molding or a machining process due to the greatprocessability of the PEEK material. In some embodiments, the secondblade 224 can further comprise carbon fiber, glass fiber, PTFE(polytetrfaluoroethylene) or PEK (polyether ketone) for improvedmechanical or thermal properties.

The method 400 continues to operation 416 in which the cleaning of theback surface of the i-th ring frame 208 is finished by wiping the backsurface with a dust-free cloth 220 under wet conditions.

The method 400 continues to operation 418 in which the cleaning of thei-th ring frame 208 is finished by wiping both surfaces with a dust-freecloth 220 under wet conditions and drying with clean dry air 226.

The method 400 continues to operation 420 in which the i-th ring frame208 is transferred to a ring frame inspection station 300 where anautomated optical inspection on both surfaces of the i-th ring frame 208is performed, according to some embodiments.

The method 400 continues to operation 422 in which both front and backsurfaces of the i-th ring frame 208 are inspected. In some embodiments,inspection parameters can be first configured. In some embodiment, thisconfiguration includes a process of writing an inspection recipe orrecalling an existing recipe to an inspection station 300. In someembodiments, operation 422 also includes configuration of the controlcircuit 112 d which controls the motion of the conveyor, e.g., speed anddirection. In some embodiments, inspection parameters include triggercriteria, inspection resolution, line frequency, pixel frequency, totalacquisition time, illumination intensity, moving speed of conveyor, sizeof ring frames, and/or other suitable parameters. Both surface of thei-th ring frame 208 is scanned by a line scan camera 302, while beingtransported by the conveyor at a constant speed along a directionperpendicular to the line scan direction, as discussed above withrespect to FIG. 3 , for example. In some embodiments, the front and backsurfaces of the i-th ring frame 208 are scanned by at least two linescan cameras 302 simultaneously.

The method 400 continues to operation 424 in which surface images areprocessed and analyzed to determine the cleanness of the i-th ring frame208, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, a plurality ofline scan images are recorded by the light sensor in the line scancamera 302 according to the inspection station 300 illustrated in FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the plurality of line scan images is convertedfrom analog signals to digital signals and stored in a local computer114 d, followed by reconstructing and preprocessing the plurality ofline scan images. In some embodiments, the preprocessing includes atleast one of the processes such as, for example, offset correction, gaincorrection, distortion correction, adjusting contrast, and the like.

In some embodiments, the preprocessed surface images can be displayed ona local display monitor which is coupled to a local computer 114 d. Insome embodiments, the display monitor can be also a touch screen forinputting and displaying inspection parameters. In some embodiments, thepreprocessed sample image is compared to references, design criteria andpredefined threshold to conduct a mapping of particles by the remotecomputer 116 so as to determine the particle type and distribution.Results are then transmitted back to the local computer 114 d to commandthe control circuit 112 d to control the conveyor so that the first ringframe 208 can be reprocessed, rejected or move on to storage for a nextwafer dicing process. In some embodiments, the line speed of the linescan camera is determined by the speed of the conveyor.

In some embodiments, the preprocessed surface images are sent to aremote computer 116. In some embodiments, the surface images are thenanalyzed to characterize the size and distribution of particles on thesurfaces of the first ring frame 208. In some embodiment, sensitivity ofthe system can be adjusted by the resolution of the camera. In someembodiments, the remote computer 116 can also decide to reject,reprocess or move on the i-th ring frame 208.

The results are then transmitted back to the local computer 114 d fordisplay through which a control signal from the control circuit 112 dcan also be provided back to the conveyor. If the i-th ring frame 208 isdetermined to be clean and ready for the next wafer dicing process, themethod 400 continues to operation 426 in which the first ring frame istransported to a storage station by the conveyor followed by loading a(i+1)-th ring frame by the conveyor to the cleaning station 200 forcleaning. If the i-th ring frame 208 is determined to be unclean suchthat it has to be re-cleaned, the method 400 continues to operation 408if the first surface needs to be cleaned or operation 414 if the secondsurface needs to be cleaned. Accordingly, a chemical-free cleaning andautomated optical inspection of ring frames can be achieved.

It should be noted that the method 400 shown in FIG. 4 is an example forillustration purposes and is not intended to be limiting. Operations canbe reordered which are within the scope of this invention. In someembodiments, a first cleaning procedure 430 on the first surfacecomprises operations 406-412 and a second cleaning procedure 440 on thesecond surface comprises operation 414-416. In some embodiments, aninspection procedure 450 on the first and second surfaces comprisesoperations 420-424. In some embodiments, the first cleaning procedure430 on the first surface can be performed after the second cleaningprocedure 440 on the second surface. In certain embodiments, the firstand the second cleaning procedures 430 and 440 on the first and thesecond surfaces, respectively can be performed simultaneously beforeboth surfaces are inspected in the inspection procedure 450. In someembodiments, after cleaning the i-th ring frame 208, the next ring framecan be cleaned and cleaned ring frames are stored in a storage stationbefore they are individually inspected in the inspection station.

The preceding merely illustrates the principles of the disclosure. Itwill thus be appreciated that those of ordinary skill in the art will beable to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitlydescribed or shown herein, embody the principles of the disclosure andare included within its spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples andconditional language recited herein are principally intended expresslyto be only for pedagogical purposes and to aid the reader inunderstanding the principles of the disclosure and the inventiveconcepts, and are to be construed as being without limitation to suchspecifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statementsherein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the disclosure,as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass bothstructural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it isintended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalentsand equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developedthat perform the same function, regardless of structure.

This description of the exemplary embodiments is set to be understood inconnection with the figures of the accompanying drawing, which are to beconsidered part of the entire written description. In the description,relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,”“above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well asderivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,”etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then describedor as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms arefor convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus beconstructed or operated in a particular orientation.

In an embodiment, a ring frame processing system includes: a cleaningstation configured to remove a first tape on a first surface of a ringframe using a first blade, clean first adhesive residues from the firsttape on the first surface of the ring frame using a first wheel brush,and remove second adhesive residues from a second tape on a secondsurface of the ring frame using a second blade; and an inspectionstation, wherein the inspection station comprises an automated opticalinspection system configured to determine the cleanness of the first andsecond surfaces of the ring frame after cleaning.

In another embodiment, a ring frame processing method includes: removinga first tape on a first surface of a ring frame using a first blade;cleaning first adhesive residues from the first tape on the firstsurface of the ring frame using a first wheel brush; removing secondadhesive residues from a second tape on a second surface of the ringframe using a second blade; and determining the cleanness of the firstand second surfaces of the ring frame using an automated opticalinspection system.

Yet in another embodiment, a ring frame cleaning system includes: aplurality of blades for mechanically removing tapes and tape residuesfrom surfaces of a ring frame; a plurality of wheel brushes forconditioning the surfaces of the ring frame; and a transport mechanismfor transporting the ring frame.

Although the disclosure has been described in terms of exemplaryembodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claimsshould be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodimentsof the disclosure, which may be made by those of ordinary skill in theart without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of thedisclosure.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A ring frame cleaning method comprising:removing a first tape on a first surface of a ring frame using a firstblade; cleaning first adhesive residues from the first tape on the firstsurface of the ring frame using a first wheel brush; removing secondadhesive residues from a second tape on a second surface of the ringframe using a second blade; and determining the cleanness of the firstand second surfaces of the ring frame using an automated opticalinspection system.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tape is abarcode tape.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wheel brush isa metal wire wheel brush, comprising copper or copper alloys.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the second tape is a dicing tape.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the second blade comprises polyether etherketone (PEEK).
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprises conditioningthe first surface of the ring frame using a second wheel brush; cleaningthe first and second surfaces of the ring frame using a wet dust-freecloth; and drying the first and second surfaces of the ring frame usinga clean air.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second wheel brush isa non-woven wheel brush, wherein the non-woven wheel brush comprises atleast one of the following: aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, andceramic.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the cleanness ofthe ring frame comprises: transporting the ring frame from a cleaningstation to an inspection station automatically using a transportmechanism; scanning the first and second surfaces of the ring frameusing a camera; generating at least one image of the first and secondsurfaces; receiving the at least one image from the camera and analyzingthe at least one image to detect particles using at least one processor;and transporting the ring frame from the inspection station to either astorage station if the ring frame is determined to be clean or thecleaning station if the ring frame is determined to be unclean.
 9. Aring frame cleaning method comprising: removing a first tape on a firstsurface of a ring frame using a first blade; cleaning first adhesiveresidues from the first tape on the first surface of the ring frameusing a first wheel brush located at a cleaning station; removing secondadhesive residues from a second tape on a second surface of the ringframe using a second blade located at the cleaning station; determiningthe cleanness of the first and second surfaces of the ring frame usingan automated optical inspection system; transporting the ring frame fromthe cleaning station to an inspection station automatically using atransport mechanism; scanning the first and second surfaces of the ringframe using a camera; generating at least one image of the first andsecond surfaces; receiving the at least one image from the camera andanalyzing the at least one image to detect particles using at least oneprocessor; and transporting the ring frame from the inspection stationto either a storage station if the ring frame is determined to be cleanor the cleaning station if the ring frame is determined to be unclean.10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first tape is a barcode tape. 11.The method of claim 9, wherein the first wheel brush is a metal wirewheel brush, comprising copper or copper alloys.
 12. The method of claim9, wherein the second tape is a dicing tape.
 13. The method of claim 9,wherein the second blade comprises polyether ether ketone (PEEK). 14.The method of claim 9, further comprising: conditioning the firstsurface of the ring frame using a second wheel brush; cleaning the firstand second surfaces of the ring frame using a wet dust-free cloth; anddrying the first and second surfaces of the ring frame using a cleanair.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second wheel brush is anon-woven wheel brush, wherein the non-woven wheel brush comprises atleast one of the following: aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, andceramic.
 16. The method of claim 9, wherein the first tape is a barcodetape and the second tape is a dicing tape.
 17. A ring frame cleaningmethod comprising: providing a plurality of blades for mechanicallyremoving tapes and tape residues from surfaces of a ring frame, whereina first blade of the plurality of blades is configured to remove a firsttape on a first surface of the ring frame, and a second blade of theplurality of blades is configured to remove a second tape on a secondsurface of the ring frame; removing the first tape from the firstsurface of the ring frame using the first blade; removing the secondtape from the second surface of the ring frame using the second blade;providing a plurality of wheel brushes for cleaning the surfaces of thering frame, wherein a first wheel brush of the plurality of wheelbrushes is configured to clean first adhesive residues from the firsttape on the first surface, and a second wheel brush of the plurality ofwheel brushes is configured to clean second adhesive residues from thesecond tape on the second surface; cleaning the first adhesive residuesfrom the first surface using the first wheel brush; cleaning the secondadhesive residues from the second surface using the second wheel brush;providing an automated optical inspection system configured to determinea cleanness of the first and second surfaces; determining a cleanness ofthe first and second surfaces using the automated optical inspectionsystem; and providing a transport mechanism to transport the ring frameafter cleaning.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the the first bladecomprises an aluminum blade, and the second blade comprises a PEEK(polyether ether ketone) blade.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein thethe first brush comprises a copper wire wheel brush and the second brushcomprises a non-woven wheel brush.
 20. The method of claim 19, whereinthe at least one non-woven wheel brush comprises at least one of thefollowing: aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and ceramic.